A source told Yahoo! Sports’ Jeff Passan that Joe Mauer will set an Opening Day deadline for extension talks with the Twins.
If a multiyear deal cannot be completed by the end of spring training and the report holds true, Mauer would become a free agent after next season.
Twins GM Bill Smith hasn’t seemed to give any consideration to the idea of trading Mauer. The 26-year-old is in line for one of the biggest contracts in baseball history, but he is a Minnesota native and he’s indicated a willingness to stay with the Twins if the team can keep itself in a position to contend annually.
The Twins, though, probably wouldn’t have much chance of retaining Mauer if he hits the open market. It could well be the fiercest free agent showdown between the Yankees and Red Sox to date. Realistically, the Twins will have to sign Mauer to a huge extension, perhaps one with an opt-out clause after two or three years, this winter if they intend to have him around in 2011.

While I hope Mauer stays in Minnesota long-term, the bidding war between the Yankees and Red Sox certainly would be something to behold. And I imagine the Mets, Angels, Dodgers, White Sox, Phillies and many other teams would at least kick the tires, too.
Can you say “feeding frenzy?!?!”

”I’m not the kind of guy that says by this date, we need to have something done,” Mauer said. ”I just try to let it happen when it needs to happen.”
And all this time I thought he was speaking from the heart!!!!

You can’t blame the man for what the system has put into place. He’s deserving of his bigger share of the pie, and in that kind of free market, he’d be a fool not to expect more. I like his caveat that he’d stay if the team could contend every year… it shows he wants to be part of a winning organization and puts the onus back on the team to surround him with quality.

Smith and the Polads better get off their collective asses and get this signing done NOW. Enough of this dancing around and trying to make it all one big mystery. Maurer belongs here, and wants to stay here, so open the damn vaults and get it done. Every year the
TWINS play this same old crap, and it tends to alinate everyone. ENOUGH ALREADY!

I’m a huge Tigers fan, but I would hate to see Mauer leave the Twins even though it would make it easier for the Tigers to win the Central. Having seen a home-grown Kirk Gibson go to the Dodgers killed me in the 80’s and I wouldn’t wish that on any Twins fan.
Anything that keeps him away from the Yankees and Red Sox is good for baseball.

GOOD FOR MAUER,,,,,,,,,STOP THE CRAzY TALK ALREADY PEOPLE…….
THIS MAN BELONGS IN THE PINSTRIPES, HE IS WASTING TIME UP NORTH, WHAT CAN THE TWINS DO FOR HIM…..REALLY.
DUDE, WE GOT RINGS, WHAT SIZE ARE YOU………..
ALL YOU PEOPLE WHO WANT TO CRY ABOUT THE YANKEES SHOULD CALL THE OWNERS OF YOUR SORRY A-S-S- TEAM AND LAY IT ON THEM NOT THE YANKEES.
I WILL NOT APOLOGIZE FOR THE YANKEES BEING WINNERS, WHERE WERE YOU YANKEE HATERS IN THE 80’S AND EARLY 90’S ??
WHY DO YOU THINK HE SET A DEADLINE, BECAUSE HE KNOWS WHAT THE TWINS
WIL DO AND HE DOES NOT WANT TO LQQK BAD.
IF THE TWINS WERE TRUE TO THE FAN BASE THEY SHOULD COME OUT WITH A
5 YEAR 100 MILLION DOLLAR CONTRACT, WHAT ELSE IS THERE TO THINK ABOUT.THEY WON’T. WHAT SIZE PINSTRIPES DID HE SAY……..